TWI672878B - Configurable interface structure configuration method - Google Patents

Abstract

An expandable interface structure configuration method is suitable for a slot on an internal motherboard of an electronic device. The proposed expandable interface structure includes an interface card module and several electrical connectors. The interface card The module system includes a main interface card and a plurality of sub-interface cards. The main interface card and the plurality of sub-interface cards are respectively connected to the electrical connectors, and the electrical connections are realized through the electrical connectors. With this, the proposed expansion interface structure configuration method uses a main interface card to connect several sub-interface cards to a board-to-board stacking building block structure, so that the expandable interface structure can integrate the traditional M.2 (NGFF) interface. Infinite expansion, providing multiple interfaces that can be constantly changed and combined, that is, M.2 can be converted into high-resolution multimedia interface (HDMI), or serial digital interface (SDI), etc., and many lines are generated to achieve flexible expansion. Purpose, compared to the conventional M.2 interface card, this creation is light, thin and short, and it takes up little space in the organization. It can help the product achieve a miniaturized design, and it can effectively increase the memory and hard disk capacity.

Description

Configuration method of expandable interface structure

The present invention relates to a configuration method of an expandable interface structure, and more particularly to a board-to-board stacking building block structure in which a main interface card is connected to several sub-interface cards, and particularly to an infinite expansion of the traditional M.2 interface. Provide multiple interfaces that can be constantly changed and combined, that is, M.2 can be converted into HDMI, or SDI, etc., and many lines can be generated to achieve the purpose of flexible expansion.

M.2, or Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF), is a new standard specification for solid state drives (SSDs) combined with a number of electronics companies, and can fully support the current mainstream SATA and PCIe interfaces, and replace the common mSATA interface. In addition, the M.2 (also known as NGFF) specification is light, thin, short, power-saving and fast in transmission speed, and standard designs in different sizes allow more flexible use of SSD applications. Therefore, at present, electronic devices are equipped with M.2 connectors for SSD card insertion, so that the data access method of electronic devices has evolved from traditional hard disks to smaller, faster solid-state hard disks. . However, the interface of the M.2 connector on the market is too small, which makes it very troublesome to convert to different interfaces. Even multi-layer processing can only temporarily solve the problem, but the overall structure is inflexible and cannot be converted into various interfaces, or more is provided. The path is not conducive to the user's own matching and assembly. In addition, the slot direction of the plug slot of the M.2 connector is arranged in parallel with the surface of the circuit board, so that the SSD card inserted in the M.2 connector is also arranged in parallel with the surface of the circuit board. It will occupy a considerable proportion of the configuration space on the circuit board, so that the circuit board must reserve an area for the SSD card to accommodate, so that the area on the circuit board that can be installed with electronic components will also be reduced, which will affect the efficiency of the circuit board. In view of this, some people in the market have proposed an expansion device, which is mainly provided with a plurality of slave connectors on a circuit board, and a master connector on a circuit board of an electronic device is connected by a transmission line to connect the master The device is expanded to be used by the multiple slave connectors (such as the Republic of China Patent No. M469664). For example, USB hubs currently on the market are such products. However, such products are usually used to expand the number of connectors of the same interface. For example, the above-mentioned USB hub is to expand one USB master connector into multiple USB slave connectors. At present, there is no expansion device in the market that can expand a master connector into multiple slave connectors with different interfaces. If users want to use different interfaces to connect electronic devices, they need to use additional adapters to convert the above-mentioned slave connectors into the required interfaces, which is quite troublesome. From this point of view, the existing expansion modules still cannot completely solve the problems of the number, assembling flexibility, and insufficient types of connectors on the electronic device. Therefore, ordinary users cannot meet the needs of users in actual use.

The main purpose of the present invention is to overcome the problems encountered in the conventional arts and provide an infinite expansion of the traditional M.2 (Next-generation form factor, NGFF) interface. The multiple interfaces can be continuously changed and combined. That is, it can convert M.2 to HDMI, or SDI, etc., and generate a lot of lines, so as to achieve the flexible expansion of the configuration method of the expandable interface structure. The secondary purpose of the present invention is to provide a configuration of an expandable interface structure that can reduce the size of a small, light-weight, and small-sized mechanism, and can help the product achieve a miniaturized design. It can also effectively increase the capacity of memory and hard disks. method. To achieve the above object, the present invention is a configuration method of an expandable interface structure, which is suitable for a slot on an internal motherboard of an electronic device. The configuration method includes at least the following steps: (A) setting a main interface card , Through the main interface card is provided with an interface card pin and inserted into a slot of the motherboard to transmit telecommunication signals with the motherboard, and a first electrical connector is provided on the back of the main interface card; And (B) setting a plurality of sub-interface cards, each of which has a first surface and a second surface, and a second electrical connection member is provided on the first surface, opposite to the second electrical connection member A third electrical connection member is provided on the second surface, and the sub-interface card adjacent to the main interface card is detachably combined with the first electrical connection member by the second electrical connection member on the first surface thereof so as to be adjacent to this. The sub-interface card of the main interface card is positioned on the back of the main interface card, and the third electrical connection member on the second surface of the main interface card is detachably combined with the second electrical connection member of another adjacent sub-interface card, so that the Another sub-interface card is positioned adjacent to the main interface card The second side of the sub-interface card, and so on to complete the expansion and assembly of the required number of sub-interface cards, in order to carry out the mutual transmission of the telecommunication signals of the main interface card and each of the sub-interface cards, parallel to each of the sub-interface cards parallel to each On each of the sub-interface cards on one side of the third electrical connection member, each of the sub-interface cards is provided with a plurality of connectors to provide a plurality of external device connections. In the above embodiment of the present invention, the main interface card and the sub interface cards are M.2 (Next-generation form factor, NGFF) interfaces. In the above embodiment of the present invention, each of the sub-interface cards is provided with at least two connectors. In the above embodiments of the present invention, the connectors provided on the plurality of sub-interface cards are a serial digital interface (SDI) connector and a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) connector. , Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connector, Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector, YGPC interface connector, or YPbPr interface connector. In the above embodiment of the present invention, the first electrical connection member is a male or female connector opposite to the second electrical connection member. In the above embodiment of the present invention, the third electrical connection member is a male or female connector opposite to the second electrical connection member. In the above embodiment of the present invention, when the plurality of sub-interface cards are expanded and assembled, the third terminal sub-interface card can omit the third electrical connection member on the second side. In the above embodiments of the present invention, the electronic device is a computer, an industrial computer, or a server of various types. In the above embodiment of the present invention, the interface card pin is inserted into a PCI Express slot. In the above embodiment of the present invention, each of the sub-interface cards is connected to the external device through the provided connector, and performs mutual transmission of telecommunication signals, and each of the connectors is connected to a circuit on each of the sub-interface cards. The telecommunication signal is transmitted to the second electrical connector, and the second electrical connector is inserted into the first electrical connector and the third electrical connector, so that the telecommunication signal is finally transmitted to the main interface card. The interface card transmits a telecommunication signal to the interface card pin by connecting a circuit on the first electrical connector, and inserts the interface card pin in a slot of the motherboard to transmit the telecommunication signal to the motherboard. The plurality of connectors provided on each of the sub-interface cards can transmit telecommunication signals with the motherboard.

The drawings disclosed in the present invention are schematic diagrams for convenience of explanation. They only illustrate the structure and equipment of the present invention in a schematic manner, and the displayed structure drawing is not limited to the same shape, appearance and size ratio as in actual implementation. The shape, appearance, and size ratio of its actual implementation are an optional design. Please refer to "Figures 1 to 3", which are flow diagrams of the configuration method of the expandable interface structure of the present invention, the decomposition diagram of the expandable interface structure of the present invention, and the expandable interface structure of the present invention. The combination diagram. As shown in the figure, the present invention is a configuration method of an expandable interface structure. The proposed expandable interface structure 1 is inserted into a slot on an internal motherboard of an electronic device, and includes an interface card module and It consists of several electrical connectors. The interface card module includes a main interface card 10 and several sub-interface cards 20a ... 20n. The main interface card 10 and the several sub-interface cards 20a ... 20n are respectively connected with the electrical connectors. Connected, and electrically connected to each other through the electrical connecting members. The electronic device may be various types of computers, industrial computers, or servers, and is not limited thereto. Based on the expandable interface structure 1, the present invention discloses a configuration method of the expandable interface structure 1. Refer to the structure shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the arrangement method starts at step s11. In step s11, a main interface card 10 is provided, and the main interface card 10 is provided with an interface card pin 11 and is inserted into a slot (such as a PCI Express slot) of the motherboard to interact with the motherboard. A telecommunication signal is transmitted, and a first electrical connector 12 is provided on the back of the main interface card 10. Next, in step s12, a plurality of sub-interface cards 20a ... 20n are provided, and each of the sub-interface cards 20a ... 20n has a first surface and a second surface, and a second electrical connection member 21a is provided on the first surface. ... 21n, a third electrical connector 22a is provided on the second surface opposite to the second electrical connector 21a ... 21n, and the sub-interface card 20a adjacent to the main interface card 10 is electrically connected with the second surface of the first interface Piece 21a is detachably combined with the first electrical connection piece 12 to position the sub-interface card 20a on the back of the main interface card 10, and the third electrical connection piece 22a on the second side is detachably connected to the first electrical connection piece 12a. The second electrical connector 21n adjacent to the other sub-interface card 20n can be combined to position this other sub-interface card 20n on the second side of the sub-interface card 20a adjacent to the main interface card 10, and so on to complete the required sub-interface. Expansion and assembly of the number of interface cards for mutual transmission of telecommunication signals of the main interface card 10 and each of the sub interface cards 20a ... 20n; among them, the several sub interface cards 20a ... 0n expansion when assembled, the son of the most terminal interface card system may further be omitted 20n is electrically connected to a third surface of the second member. A plurality of connectors 23a are provided on each of the sub-interface cards 20a ... 20n near each of the sub-interface cards 20a ... 20n parallel to one side of each of the third electrical connection members 22a ... 20n. … 23n to provide connection of multiple external devices (not shown); among them, the multiple connectors 23a ... 23n provided for each of the sub-interface cards 20a ... 20n are provided on each of the sub-interface cards 20a ... 20n Keep away from one side of the main interface card 10. If so, a new extensible interface structure configuration method is constituted by the above disclosed process. The first and third electrical connecting members 12 and 22a are male or female connectors that are opposite to the second electrical connecting members 21a ... 21n. In Figures 2 and 3, each sub-interface card 20a ... 20n is provided with two connectors 23a ... 23n, which can be serial digital interface (SDI) connectors, high-resolution multimedia interfaces (High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector, Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connector, Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector, YGPC interface connector, YPbPr interface connector, etc., which are only The description of the embodiment shows that the number of the connectors 23a ... 23n provided for each of the sub-interface cards 20a ... 20n of the present invention is not limited. When actuating, the above-mentioned sub-interface cards 20a ... 20n are connected with external devices (not shown) through the various connectors 23a ... 23n provided for mutual transmission of telecommunication signals. The various connectors 23a ... 23n are By connecting the circuits on each of the sub-interface cards 20a ... 20n, a telecommunication signal is transmitted to the second electrical connection piece 21a ... 21n, and is plugged into the first electrical connection piece 12 through the second electrical connection piece 21a ... 21n. And the third electrical connector 22a, so that the telecommunication signal is finally transmitted to the main interface card 10, and the main interface card 10 transmits the telecommunication signal to the interface card pin 11 through a circuit connected to the first electrical connector 12, And through the interface card pin 11 is inserted in the slot of the motherboard, and the telecommunication signal is transmitted to the motherboard, so that the multiple connectors 23a ... 23n provided for each of the sub-interface cards 20a ... 20n, and the telecommunications The signal and the motherboard are transmitted to each other, so that the present invention can infinitely expand the traditional M.2 (Next-generation form factor, NGFF) interface Provide multiple interfaces that can be continuously changed and combined, that is, M.2 can be converted into HDMI, or SDI, etc., and many lines can be generated to achieve the purpose of flexible expansion. Compared with the conventional M.2 interface card, the present invention The thin, light, and short structure occupies little space, which can help the product achieve a miniaturized design, and can effectively increase the memory and hard disk capacity. To sum up, the present invention is a configuration method of an expandable interface structure, which can effectively improve the various shortcomings of conventional use. The main interface card is connected to the board-to-board stacking building block structure of several sub-interface cards to make the expandable The interface structure can infinitely expand the traditional M.2 interface, providing multiple interfaces that can be continuously changed and combined, that is, M.2 can be converted to HDMI, or SDI, etc., and many lines can be generated to achieve the purpose of flexible expansion. Compared with the conventional M.2 interface card, the invention is light, thin, and short. It occupies less space in the mechanism, can help the product achieve a miniaturized design, and can effectively increase the memory and hard disk capacity. Generate more advanced, more practical, and more user-friendly requirements, and indeed meet the requirements for invention patent applications, file a patent application according to law. However, the above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the scope of implementation of the present invention cannot be limited by this; therefore, any simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the scope of the patent application and the contents of the invention specification of the present invention , All should still fall within the scope of the invention patent.

s11 ～ s12‧‧‧step

‧‧‧Extensible interface structure

10‧‧‧ main interface card

11‧‧‧ interface card pins

12‧‧‧ the first electrical connector

20a ... 20n‧‧‧Sub Interface Card

21a ... 21n‧‧‧Second electrical connector

22a‧‧‧Third electrical connector

23a ... 23n‧‧‧Connector

FIG. 1 is a schematic flow chart of a configuration method of the expandable interface structure of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the expandable interface structure of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic combination diagram of the expandable interface structure of the present invention.

Claims (8)

A configuration method of an expandable interface structure is suitable for a slot on an internal motherboard of an electronic device. The configuration method includes at least the following steps: (A) setting a main interface card, and providing an interface through the main interface card. A card pin, which is inserted into a slot of the motherboard to transmit telecommunication signals with the motherboard, and a first electrical connector is provided on the back of the main interface card; and (B) several sub-interface cards are provided Each of the sub-interface cards has a first surface and a second surface, and a second electrical connection member is provided on the first surface, and a third electrical connection is provided on the second surface opposite to the second electrical connection member. A connecting member for detachably combining the second electrical connector on the first surface of the sub-interface card adjacent to the main interface card with the first electrical connector to position the sub-interface card of the adjacent main interface card at The back of the main interface card is detachably combined with the second electrical connector of another sub interface card with the third electrical connector on the second side of the main interface card to position the other sub interface card adjacent to The second side of the child interface card of the main interface card, and so on Expansion and assembly of the number of sub-interface cards is required for the mutual transmission of telecommunication signals between the main interface card and each of the sub-interface cards. Each of the sub-interface cards near each of the sub-interface cards is parallel to one side of each of the third electrical connectors. On the interface card, each of the sub-interface cards is provided with a plurality of connectors to provide the connection of a plurality of external devices, wherein the first and third electrical connection members are male connectors opposite to the second electrical connection member. Or female connector. The configuration method of the expandable interface structure according to item 1 of the scope of the patent application, wherein the main interface card and the plurality of sub-interface cards are M.2 (Next-generation form factor, NGFF) interfaces. The configuration method of the expandable interface structure according to item 1 of the scope of the patent application, wherein each of the sub-interface cards is provided with at least two connectors. The configuration method of the expandable interface structure according to any one of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the connectors provided on the sub-interface cards are serial digital interfaces (Serial Digital Interface, (SDI) connector, High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector, Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connector, Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector, YGPC interface connector , Or YPbPr interface connector. The configuration method of the expandable interface structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 of the scope of the patent application, wherein, when the plurality of sub-interface cards are expanded and assembled, the sub-interface card at the most terminal can omit the second interface card. Third electrical connection. The configuration method of the expandable interface structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 of the patent application scope, wherein the electronic device is a computer, an industrial computer, or a server of various types. The configuration method of the expandable interface structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the interface card pin is inserted into a PCI Express slot. The configuration method of the expandable interface structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the sub-interface cards is connected to the external device through a set connector and performs telecommunication signals. Mutual transmission. Each of the connectors transmits a telecommunication signal to the second electrical connector by connecting a circuit on each of the sub-interface cards, and is connected to the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector through the second electrical connector. The third electrical connector enables the telecommunication signal to be finally transmitted to the main interface card. The main interface card transmits the telecommunication signal to the interface card pin through the circuit on the first electrical connector, and is inserted through the interface card pin. Set in the slot of the motherboard to transmit telecommunication signals to the motherboard, order each The telecommunications signals of the multiple connectors provided on the sub-interface card can be transmitted to and from the motherboard.